China announces plans to plant a forest the size of Ireland

In a bid to become the world leader in conservation, China is set to plant a forest the size of the island of Ireland.

Imagine the entire nation of saints and scholars, four whole provinces, completely covered in trees and greenery. It turns out, it's not that far fetched of an idea.

Forests the size of Ireland, a country which takes approximately eight hours to drive from tip to top, will be implemented in China this year. For the context of US readers - that's about the size of the entire state of Indiana.

The Chinese government have pledged to plant 6.6 million hectares - bringing the total amount of forests in the country to 208 million hectares.

The State Forestry Administration of China announced their decision, after the United States forfeited its environmental leadership and President Trump withdrew the nation from the Paris Climate Agreement.

China has made no secret of its eagerness to lessen the impact of climate change. Having previously declared a 'war on pollution' in 2014, officials and administrative bodies have been cracking down on companies and individuals breaking environmental rules.

The State Forestry Administration of China organization, led by Minister for Forestry Zhang Jianlong, said they aim to have 26 percent of the entire country covered by forests by 2030. At present, 21.7 percent of the country's territory is covered.